A Great Baklava Recipe for a Serious Sweet Tooth

Need a little something sweet?



Here is a great Baklava recipe that you can use to prepare that awesome dessert. Baklava can’t really be classified under the heading of Jewish dessert recipes, but still it is very popular in Israel. This dessert is mainly an Arabic dish, but you can find it in many variations in the Greek & Turkish cuisines alongside other Mediterranean recipes.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb (700 gm) filo dough


• ½ lb (450 gm) peanuts, walnuts, almonds or a mixture, roasted in the oven, peeled and chopped (not too small) – best to use a food processor.


• 7ozs (200 gm) melted butter


• ½ cup sugar


• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the topping :


• 2 cups sugar


• ¾ cup water


• 1½ tbsp lemon juice


• ½ tsp cinnamon

How to make Baklava out of the above

1. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Get a rectangle greased pan (about 10”x13” or 27x35 cm) and line it with ⅓ of the dough. Brush each filo sheet with melted butter (cover the remaining dough with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out).


2. Mix the nuts with sugar & cinnamon and sprinkle half the quantity over the dough.


3. Cover with another layer of brushed filo sheets, sprinkle the remaining nut mixture on top and cover with the final layer of dough.


4. Cut into diamond shapes, but not all the way through.


5. Pour remaining butter on top.


6. Bake in a pre-heated medium-hot oven for ¾ hour, or until golden. Cut pieces through and allow to cool.


7. Prepare syrup for topping: boil all ingredients together until thick and pour slightly cooled cake. Can be kept in the baking pan for several days, covered with aluminum foil.